Perceived injustices cannot distract spirited Toffees
If injustice was Everton’s fuel, they never quite caught fire against Manchester United. Beyond their 10-point penalty, Goodison Park rattled with the sound of further injustice, with just about every refereeing decision barracked. It is not uncommon for fans to believe referees are biased against their club, such complaints are heard at every ground in the world but John Brooks actually ruled – and wrongly, as shown by VAR – in Everton’s favour when booking Anthony Martial for a dive when Ashley Young had committed an injudicious foul. A siege mentality is fair enough considering circumstances and during the first half there were signs it was an effective motivation tool. But becoming distracted by the perceived injustice of Brooks’s decisions only served to drop heads. Sean Dyche has form for deflecting towards officialdom but perhaps concentrating on creating better, clearer chances for his forwards would be a superior means of kicking against the pricks than enabling fans’ persecution complex. John Brewin
